DECATUR, IL --- The UIS men's track program is just four meets old, but freshman Kaj Days, competing in his first ever collegiate track meet, earned the victory in the high jump at the Millikin Big Blue Invitational on Saturday, which also gained him the distinction of being the first UIS track athlete to earn an NCAA National Championship Provisional Standard.

A minimum standard is required in each track and field event in order to be considered for selection to the National Meet.  The top-16 to 20 athletes and relays teams are invited to the championship. Days cleared a height of 2.05m (6' 8.75") which is over the minimum of 2.03m.H is mark currently leads the event in the GLVC as well.
 
There were several other strong showings by the UIS men at this meet as well including George Wayda's second place finish in the javelin with a throw of 52.35m (171'9"), which currently is top in the GLVC to go along with Days' leading performance.  Wayda was also fourth in the high jump with a height of 1.93m (6' 4") and sixth in the discus with a throw of 36.80m (121').
 
Jake Seidel was sixth in the javelin throw with a distance of 41.34m (135' 7").  Elliot Nabatov and Nick Reynolds completed their first ever 3000m steeplechase and earned fourth and sixth place finishes with times of 10:27.78 and 10:46.65.  
 
The 4 x 400m relay team of Ruell Chappell, Preston Henze, Blake Carlino, and Brendan Kroeger finished fifth with a time of 3:35.74.
 
Strong performances were turned in by Kroeger in the 1500m run where he placed ninth with a time of 4:15.76 as well as Jose Corona who was 15th in the 800m run in a field of 36 runners who won the first unseeded section with a time of 2:07.87.
 
The UIS men placed sixth in the field of nine team with 40 points. Greenville College won the meet with 228.5 points followed by Vincennes University with 146.
 
Coach Mike De Witt had these comments:  "It was a great way to wrap up the first half of the season, overall across the team we accomplished most everything we were looking to do.  Racing a little differently than what we had done over the past three weeks.  We finished strong on the track.  The field events, and in particular Kaj Days and George Wayda did an exceptional job of taking care of what they needed to do to establish strong marks.  Kaj is the 'pioneer' of the program earning an important milestone with meeting the NCAA Championship provisional standard.  He will need to work on consistent jumping over the next month as well as adding on another couple of inches to earn a National Meet spot!  George is doing a great job as a veteran of the college track scene, he has a great background as a Grad Student at UIS with is Big 10 Team Championship Ring which he earned with a seventh place finish in the Decathlon during his career in Champaign."